How Fools Fall In Love
by na-chan00
Summary: Unemployed, unimpressed and idle Sakata Gintoki got by just fine until a depressing piece of his past decided to make an appearance. AU Modern Setting.
1. Not All Ghosts Come Out of the TV

Disclaimer: Sorachi did the original thing.

* * *

How Fools Fall In Love

Chapter 1: Not All Ghosts Come Out of the TV

* * *

It was close to four in the afternoon when a ring at the door interrupted Gintoki's Oi Mai Mi marathon. He was sprawled in front of the TV looking absolutely dejected. Issues of Jump were scattered on the floor and the tabletop was littered with snacks. Kagura's nonstop eating added nobly to the cause by converting food into trash in mere seconds. All in all it was a regular Sunday afternoon at the apartment with the exception of Shinpachi's absence. The teenage boy who usually dropped by every day of the week had skipped the weekend to help out his sister at the dojo. Apparently the guys from the kendo club had left the place in a miserable state after their Saturday training session. Gintoki suspected Kondo was going to see the last of his testicles pretty soon.

"Gin-chaaaaan, the dooooor" Kagura drawled out annoyed.

"Kagura, the dooooor"

"I told you first!"

"I told you second!"

"I just came back from the toilet"

Gintoki rolled his eyes, sighed and grunted before relenting. He got up lazily and stretched, feeling a mile between himself and the front door.

"I hope Shinpachi doesn't bring his sister's food" he muttered in despair.

"Then you shut the door and don't let him in, you hear?"

"Yeah, yeah"

Gintoki was already keen on Kagura's advice when he opened the door and his favorite neighbor stood there looking as graceful as ever. He also spied a little head behind her with large glaring eyes, which meant neither him nor Gintoki were going to enjoy whatever was to ensue and Gintoki had a pretty good idea what it was going to be about.

"Gin-san good evening" Mistuba said with a friendly smile. Gintoki found it hard to express emotions with her brother's gaze boring holes in his forehead.

"Hello" he managed to utter.

"I came to ask you a favor"

Okita Mistuba was Gintoki's favorite neighbor for a lot of reasons. She was pretty, polite, discreet and often brought him leftovers for dinner. She also had an astounding resemblance to the weather girl whom Gintoki was quite partial to. Nevertheless, there was something which sullied Mitsuba's many qualities. His name was Okita Sougo, her darling little brother. He was around Shinpachi's age and had a tendency to pick on Kagura, wherever and whenever, until both of them drove Gintoki nuts. Sougo had calmed down a bit with age but he could still be provoking to an alarming point, perhaps even a bit sadistic. Gintoki couldn't understand how someone so sick and twisted could be the sibling of Okita Mitsuba. It made him wonder whether behind her gentle exterior was a cold ruthless sociopath. Gintoki shifted.

"I was wondering if you could look after Sou-chan while I go to the station pick up a friend" she asked warmly, grabbing Sougo by the elbow and pushing him forward.

"What's up Danna~"

Gintoki eyed him suspiciously.

"Why don't you take him with you?"

"He doesn't want to go" she replied with an apologetic face.

"I want to enjoy what little time I have left before you bring that ass-"

Mitsuba took out a tiny pepper bottle from her sleeve and thrust it into her brother's mouth. Gintoki barely saw her arm move and Sougo instantly choked on it with watering eyes.

"Sou-chan what have I told you about language in front of the neighbors? What would Kondo-san think?" she said by way of scolding, not losing her smile. Her genuine concern was probably as fearsome as her spoiling the kid though.

"He isn't very excited about coming. Please just watch him for me? I will be back in a jiffy"

"No. He's old enough to be on his own"

Gintoki's reply met silence. Mitsuba kept looking at him with an adoring pleading face which clearly stated she wasn't leaving until he said yes. Gintoki wanted to dive into the nearest cliff when he heard himself complying.

"Sure, he can stay"

"Oh thank you so much! I am in your debt" she exclaimed happily "Sou-chan, bow your head" but Sougo just shrugged his shoulders, walked by Gintoki and kicked off his shoes "I'm so sorry, I know I shouldn't spoil him but he is a good kid"

"We'll survive"

Mitsuba giggled at his remark and then took off. Gintoki lingered a few seconds by the front door, praying for God to bestow upon him the same kind of repellent Mitsuba's acquaintance had. With Kagura and Sougo under one roof he was going to need it.

Fortunately, it was a day for miracles. The living room managed to remain intact by the time Mitsuba returned. The casualties were not minor though. Minutes before her arrival, Kagura and Sougo had broken into a fight and knocked down the TV, ruining Gintoki's magical girl marathon and probably damaging the screen beyond repair.

"OI OI OI OI! Is that the TV? Did you just kill my TV?!" Gintoki exclaimed pointing to the abandoned thing on the floor "Kagura-chan, Sougo-kun..." rather than bursting into a fit of senseless rage, Gintoki felt a void of depression swallow him whole "Mai-chan... my Mai-chan... what happened? Is she going to end up with the masked hero? What if he tricks her and steals her powers... no, Mai-chan..." thoughts about the unclear future of Mai-chan were soon replaced by thoughts of his TV's uncertain demise. He put it back in place and tried to turn it on to no avail. Pressing the remote buttons while chanting a mantra didn't seem to work either.

"Kagura-chan guess who is going to Gengai's tomorrow? I'll give you a tip! She has two dumb buns on her head" Gintoki muttered, mostly to himself given the neglect the two loud quarreling idiots were giving him. It was no wonder Mitsuba's ring at the door came as a blessing. Gintoki ran towards it at once, grabbing Sougo's collar on the way and throwing him out into her arms.

"Here he is! Safe and sound!"

"Ooof!... thank you Gin-san" Mitsuba almost lost her balance grappling with the sudden weight, yet she was able to hold on to her brother without losing her step. In fact, Gintoki noticed how her grip on him remained quite fierce even after both had regained their footing. The mixture of anger and reluctance on Sougo's face was something surreal to behold. Gintoki knew the kid loathed anything that ever got in the way of him being with his sister, therefore such a sudden unwillingness to be with her was nothing short of disturbing. A shill ran up Gintoki's spine.

"That must be some hell of a guest" he observed.

Mitsuba had to take Sougo's hand and drag him behind her before he finally yielded.

"They're both just shy of each other" she laughed.

Gintoki couldn't be sure, but something told him he was going to see both siblings again very soon.

* * *

"Yooo! Ka-gu-ra-chaaaan wake uup~~" Gintoki opened the closet door with a terrible sing-song voice, mischief written all over his face. Kagura rubbed her eyes still half-asleep and when she looked at him the first thing she did was dispatch a fist to his chest. Gintoki fell back with a gasp, his breath all but leaving him.

"Oi are you trying to kill me?! That hurt like hell!"

"Oh it's Gin-chan... I thought it was Orochimaru"

"Wrong! That's downstairs!"

At that moment a thumping sound came from beneath their feet. It didn't bother Gintoki and Kagura very much. Otose beating the ceiling with her broom to shut them up was something of a daily occurrence.

"You woke her up" Kagura deadpanned.

"She wakes up the sun, stupid!" Gintoki whispered in a fury "Anyway, go wash up and eat your rice. There's a TV waiting to be repaired and you're the one taking responsibility"

"Eeeeehhhh!?" the rebuff was immediate but Gintoki was deaf to her pleas.

"Yes and you're taking out the giant dog as well"

"Sadaharu too?"

Sadaharu barked at the mention of his name and came scampering towards Kagura who received him with open arms.

"You can ask for Shinpachi's help if you want, as long as that TV gets to Gengai today. I want it back in time for my drama tonight" Gintoki told her "Next time don't break things if you want to sleep until late"

"It's Gin-chan's fault for letting that creep stay in" Kagura mumbled into Sadaharu's fur. She hugged the massive dog tightly and murmured a few more complaints and curses until Shinpachi arrived.

"Good morning everyone, how was your-" Shinpachi's greeting was interrupted by Kagura's desperate whining. She clung to his arm and tried to fake a few tears.

"Shinpachiiii! Shinpachi you have to help me, Gin-chan made a deal with the demon and now I have to take the TV to Gengai all by myself" she cried "And I have to walk Sadaharu too! Pleeaaase"

Shinpachi glanced confused towards Gintoki but the latter totally ignored him, having decided to take no pity on the culprit. He took out an uncommonly big booger out of his nose and hurled it at the poor broken television set.

"You PIG!" Kagura shouted, detaching herself from Shinpachi to go kick Gintoki in the groin. Luckily the latter managed to dodge her foot in time and sent her flying to the sofa.

"You two stop bickering so I can make some breakfast! We're gonna be late!" Shinpachi exclaimed, slapping the two idiots in the head.

It was inevitable. Shinpachi and Kagura were too late for school by the time they took off. They ran out the door in a hurry and, by the loud noises in the hallway, so did Sougo. Gintoki heard them fighting all the way down to the street, as well as Otose and Catherine's shrieks over their rumpus. Gintoki quickly shut the front door and locked himself in the bathroom knowing it was only a matter of minutes until the two women decided it was time for a trip upstairs. The savage knocks on his door proved it.

"OI Sa-ka-taa open the door!"

"I know you're in there Gintoki, don't make me waste my time, I have a store to run" Otose chided angrily.

"I'm taking a dump, sorry!"

"I'll take a dump on you next time I see you, loser!"

"Calm down Catherine, I'll take care of this" Otose declared "Gintoki, you listen to me, I've told those kids a hundred times not to run down the stairs. This apartment building is already as old as it is and with shitty tenants like you two" she glanced at Catherine as well "who don't even understand the concept of regular payment, I can't afford to spend money on maintenance which careful and _normal _behavior should be enough to avoid!" she paused and took a deep breath "Besides, you can't trust carpenters these days, they're all leeches! And don't get me started on those bastards your friend Sakamoto sent me the last time. If I see him around again I promise you I'll shove the bill up his rear and..."

Otose's rant trailed a while before she returned back to her original point and yelled a few more obscenities at Gintoki's overall useless existence. Catherine spit on his front door like the animal she was and later on, when Gintoki was certain the coast was clear, he finally left bathroom. He would have enjoyed his much needed sigh of relief if there had been no TV to repair and no Sadaharu looking like he was holding in his biggest turd yet.

"Shiit"

Walking Sadaharu was actually pretty easy. Gintoki took a shovel to bury the deed and sooner than later was back home staring at the stupid TV. He was starting to nurture a deep hatred towards the thing and he knew it was wrong. It was one of his most treasured possessions, the only means by which he could watch Ketsuno Ana and be temporarily happy at heart. Fate was right in punishing him. He understood it now. Entrusting the TV to Kagura had been a mistake. Only more disaster would have befallen the TV if she had taken it to Gengai. Gintoki was sure of it. Hence in a fit of valour and fortitude, he took the damn thing in his arms, walked out of the apartment and made it straight for the old man's shop. He was going to watch his drama tonight. He was going to man up and work it out.

Or maybe not.

The second he stepped out of the apartment a ghost appeared in front of him sending all his bravery to shit. Strength seeped form his muscles and the TV fell to the floor with a shattering sound. Gintoki's heart had stopped so brusquely he didn't know if he was breathing, least of all hearing. The vision in question was dark tall and hypnotizing, leaning over the railing with a cigarette in his mouth. Gintoki froze entirely. This couldn't be happening. Nope. Not again. He slapped himself mentally and picked up the TV with trembling hands, leaving the apartment building without bothering to look back at the figure again. He was so shocked that the immensity of what had just happened only hit him three blocks down by the bookstore.

"What in the actual fuck" he turned around and squinted his eyes to see if there was someone in the second floor hallway. It was deserted, without even a trail of smoke.

"Hello there Gin-san, back already for more comics? I tell you young man, you should start living the life of a respectable adult, people have been talking ever since you got that little girl-"

"Old man" Gintoki interrupted the owner of the bookstore with a grim expression on his face "How do I look? Do I look like I am going insane?"

"Well, now that you mention it you do look a bit pale, maybe it's the hair?"

Gintoki scoffed.

"Oi seriously, tell me the truth, you think I need to start going to those therapy sessions?" Gintoki wondered. His heart roared inside his chest and some kind of yearning pulled at its strings. Perhaps the time had come to put those psychiatrists' business cards to use.

"What's the matter, you seen a ghost or what?"

"Something like that" Gintoki replied apprehensively. He was still staring at the building hoping some explanation would rain on him "Have you ever seen a ghost, old man?"

"Sure thing" he retorted with a chuckle "My old lady keeps nagging me from the grave"

Gintoki's face contorted into a disgruntled frown and he sent the old man an affronted look, as if he had heard the most offensive joke in the history of the universe.

"Save me the new Jojojo volume, I will be back for it later" Gintoki told him, adjusting his grip on the TV.

"Sure thing. Do you want my old lawn cart for that thing? I have it backstairs"

With the TV on the wheelbarrow the journey to Gengai's was over in the blink of an eye. Gintoki had never felt so thankful since all he wanted to do was return home and scrutinize every bit of that hallway to make sure he still had his sanity. He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he had last seen that face. He couldn't even bear to think about what seeing that face used to unleash in him. It was just painful and ridiculous and Gintoki had closed, buried and burned that chapter of his life long long ago. He was so done with the whole ordeal he couldn't understand why he was deluding about it. Moreover he had no recollection of drinking last night. He was sober clean.

"Your scooter ain't ready yet, what is it this time?"

Gengai's industrial goggles snapped Gintoki out of his trance and he quickly presented his problem in precise short words.

"TV broken. Need it for tonight"

Gengai didn't bother to protest. He just laughed aloud, almost smacking himself in the head with his wrench.

"Come on Gintoki, look at that crap. If you want to watch TV tonight you're gonna have to buy a new one. I don't even know how you still have this rubbish running"

Gintoki pretended he wasn't listening and shrugged.

"Can you fix it or not?"

"I'll see what I can do but I don't promise nothin'"

"That's fine by me. Just don't tamper with it and send me back a mutant version. I heard some funny stories going around" Gintoki pointed out sorely, backtracking to the myriads of people he had heard complaining about Gengai's repairs "Your luck is that you're cheap" he added halfheartedly.

"And yours is that you're an idiot" a low voice spoke behind him. Standing in front of Gengai's garage was a slender looking blond woman with a pipe between her fingers. A perfect example that a relationship can and will flourish out of accidental groping. Gintoki tried hard not to roll his eyes. For some reason she was the last person on his mind at the moment.

"They don't fix Bitch pipes over here, you have to send it back to the seller" Gintoki noted casually.

The random remark pricked one of the many nerves Tsukuyo had been enduring for the past couple of weeks. She hadn't really been expecting an apology right away. She knew Gintoki well enough to foresee that, nevertheless his total indifference pissed her off. He had clearly forgotten all about her and wasn't even trying to fake the tiniest speck of remorse. Tsukuyo took a long drag on her pipe before a torrent of rage spewed out.

"You here to fix your watch? Or maybe your phone?" she suggested bitterly, masking her scowl with with a turn of her lips.

"Nope, just the TV. Kagura and the devil spawn broke it yesterday"

"Oh really?"

Gintoki's plain reply had struck her last nerve. As such, his total neglect was unable to save his head from being bashed violently against the hood of the nearest car.

"Don't you dare stand me up again, you piece of shit!" she clicked her tongue in disgust and walked away fuming. Gintoki barely had time to collect his thoughts.

Gengai approached him cautiously and appraised the new dent on his car.

"At least she won't bill you Gintoki"

The walk home was more painful than predicted. Tsukuyo's blow had shaken the list of priorities on Gintoki's brain and produced a substantial amount of cursing Gintoki didn't know he was capable of. The fact it had taken him a dose of brutality to remember he had forgotten about their date was too depressing to live with and now he had to carry that unending shame as well as the aching bump on his forehead. His whole figure screamed pathetic scum.

"Pathetic scum, where were you?!" Otae didn't waste any time with greetings. She was waiting for him in front of the apartment building, arms crossed and right foot patting the ground impatiently. She was obviously holding herself back from wrestling his neck "Didn't I tell you yesterday you had to pick up Kagura-chan today? Shin-chan has exams coming up and he can't continue languishing his entire evenings here with you doing _your_ chores. He has to study! And you're letting a middle school girl walk home all by herself?!"

"She can take out your dojo idiots. The burglars too"

"Shut up and go get her! I have to go back to the club" She hissed, taking out her cellphone and dialing her friend "Yes yes, I'm leaving right now..." she glanced back to urge Gintoki on and he did as he was told.

* * *

After wondering countless times if he was ever going back home that day, Gintoki finally stepped over his beloved threshold and took off his shoes. Kagura followed after him, throwing her backpack into the air triumphantly and committing her butt to the sofa in a manner most identical to that of her guardian. The sight was close to endearing. Nonetheless, Gintoki's vexation wasn't done for the day. The minute after he had sat down and indulged in the comfort of his cushion, Kagura began her tirade on the obvious.

"There's no TV!"

"Is that so? I wonder what happened to it" Gintoki replied with sarcasm.

"You took it to the old man?"

"Yeah"

"When is it coming back?"

"I don't know, when it grows two legs probably"

"Gin-chaaan! What are we supposed to do then?" Kagura whined.

"You can start by doing your homework, Gin-san is going to take a nap"

"I'll take a nap too!"

Gintoki was too tired to argue. He nodded his head and made a mental note to later lock Kagura outside until she was willing to do her homework. If that option failed he would threaten to ship her over to Mitsuba's. That always worked like a charm.

Mitsuba's.

His half-shut eyes bulged out the second he remembered the spooky vision by her door that morning. He had all but forgotten it. His heart started racing again and he felt his palms sweating. Kagura was already snoring loudly by his side and he looked at her with pure jealousy cursing through his veins. How he wished to be sound asleep. He couldn't ask for anything better. In his sleep there were no screw ups with Tsukuyo, no Otae lashing out at him, no Otose after his money and no creepy run-of-the-mill ghosts. No, no, there certainly weren't. Nope. Not one. Noooope. Gintoki shut his eyes to stop any memories from swarming up. He didn't need this kind of bullshit right now.

Another ring at the door almost made him puke out his heart. He started so violently he almost struck Kagura's nose. She flinched at his movement but the tumult wasn't enough to wake her. She slept like a rock. Gintoki was forced to go get the door. He dragged his feet hesitantly down the room and repressed a bout of despair. At least the lack of hysterics on the other side consoled him to some extent. He assumed it would be Mitsuba with leftovers and boy was he right.

"Good evening Gin-san, I brought you some curry leftovers as thanks for yesterday. I hope you'll like it" she said with the biggest smile.

Gintoki thanked her and was about to close the door when a third person showed up, this time from inside Mitsuba's apartment.

"Oi Mitsuba did you see my lighter?"

Gintoki had to fight the spasm spreading throughout his organs. Mitsuba's cute bag of leftovers would have fallen to the ground if the seizure taking over him hadn't tightened his grip to a bone-crushing degree.

"Ah, Toshiro-san come over here, let me introduce you"

Mitsuba's guest seemed as unresponsive as her neighbor as both men engaged in some kind of paralympic staring competition. Gintoki for his part couldn't feel his body move at all. Mitsuba turned from one disgruntled face to another, slowly but steadily piecing their reactions together.

"Oh you know each other?" she wondered innocently, eyes shining with delight.

"No"

"Yes"

"I said no!" Gintoki repeated a bit panicked.

"I'm not lying!" the other man said just as passionately.

"Oh that's fresh coming from you!" Gintoki sneered.

"Look who's talking!"

"Are you brothers?" Mitsuba speculated, puzzled by their incredible similarity.

"What!? No way!"

"That's disgusting!"

"I think I'm gonna throw up"

"Not here you ain't!"

"Shut up, did someone ask for you opinion?!"

"No, but I think someone is asking for a punch to the face?!"

"I wonder who?!"

"Who indeed!"

The distance between the two men dwindled to mere inches. Like machines put back in motion, their response to each other was automatic. Gintoki gripped Hijikata's shirt collar with his free hand and the latter mimicked him, exposing Gintoki's collarbone to the cold night air.

"Toshiro-san please" Mitsuba reached for Hijikata's arm and he pulled back immediately, straightening up his shirt.

"I think I left it in the counter" Hijikata muttered, retreating back into the apartment to get his lighter.

"I'm so sorry Gin-san. It seems all I do lately is apologize to you" Mitsuba lamented "He is a friend from my hometown, but it appears you know him as well?" there was a sorrowful tone in her voice brought on by the hostility she had just witnessed. Part of Gintoki felt obliged to provide her with a plausible explanation, but knowing he would have to give her an account of all that had happened between them quickly put an end to that purpose.

Gintoki tousled his hair to shake off the fluster and answered with the barest of truths.

"We were roommates"

* * *

AN: I hope you'll forgive me for this one. I'm just taking advantage of my current writing spree to type this down. I've been dying to write a GinHiji AU for so long that I've lost count of the times I started a chapter. There's gonna be lots of flashbacks and probably Hijikata's POV at some point. I'm still putting it all together but please do enjoy it if you can.


	2. Where There's Smoke There's Fire

Disclaimer: Sorachi owns Gintama's ass.

* * *

How Fools Fall In Love

Chapter 2: Where There's Smoke There's Fire

* * *

Mitsuba returned to her apartment to find a thoughtful Hijikata sat listless in her sofa. His usual bright blue eyes were cloudy and fixated on a spot above the TV in deep meditation. He had a cigarette in his mouth but it was unlit. She called him a few times but only met a kind of unresponsiveness not wont in him. Hijikata was always excessively attentive and eager to please her whenever he could. It was wondrous to see him upset for a change but at the same time preoccupying. Mitsuba could not hide a smile of amusement, yet she began to feel responsible for the abrupt quarrel between the two men. When she finally got through to Hijikata, his shoulders jerked and he turned to her as if he had taken a blow.

"Toshiro-san, I've already called you four times, is everything alright?" she asked worried "I've been apologizing to Gin-san in your stead. He has been so kind to me, I felt it was my duty to introduce you, but I had no idea you two knew each other. You never told me" her feelings of distress were too weak to last against Hijikata and they quickly gave way to a curiosity which Gintoki had barely quenched.

"I'm sorry about that" Hijikata replied somberly. He got up and walked towards her.

"Gin-san told me you two were roommates once. Did you not part friends?" Mitsuba asked him. Hijikata went past her in the direction of the front door. There was a look of annoyance on his face.

"We were never really friends" he muttered as he put on his shoes "We just kind of tolerated each other" Mitsuba perceived how carefully he chose those words and sighed.

"That's unfortunate" she said "He's such a nice man, helps me out with Sou-chan when I'm stuck at work and he never complains about my spicy food, but Toshiro-san are you leaving so soon? I was going to brew some tea"

"Yes, I wouldn't be much company after this anyway" he lamented.

"Well, then give Kondo-san my regards and call me as soon as you have any news"

Hijikata answered her with a nod and a short smile.

"Goodbye" Mitsuba leaned against the front door and watched him walk down the hallway until he disappeared behind a corner.

"He's already gone, you look silly standing there, aneue" came Sougo's taunting voice.

"I was just making sure he knew the way" she replied briskly, closing the door and sneaking into the kitchen to hide a soft blush "Have you done your homework Sou-chan?"

Her question hung in the air. Hijikata's forgotten lighter on the counter made her miss Sougo's reply.

* * *

/10 YEARS AGO/

Hijikata looked at the shabby building with a sense of foreboding. Nothing seemed to recommend it from the outside. The fact it hadn't collapsed after who knows how many years was perhaps the only comforting thought about it. Beside him Kondo's radiant grin was impervious to his total disappointment. Hijikata tried to remember again why he had agreed to this but his brain shut down that whole operation before he died of regret right then and there.

"So this is it Toshi! How do you feel?" Kondo asked him excited.

"Terribly... fortunate" Hijikata replied between gritted teeth.

"Yeah right?!" Kondo gave a loud laugh and dragged him over to the side of the building.

"Where are you taking me?"

"The front door is busted, we use the back one now"

Hijikata opened his mouth to protest but nothing came out except disbelief. He followed Kondo and they snaked their way around the dorm through a cobbled path barely visible amidst a swarm of weeds, which grew up the walls and threaded their way up the two-story building, twisting around old rusty pipes and ledges. It seemed that no matter where he looked Hijikata was bound to find signs of negligence and decay. Being the epitome of discipline and order himself, there was no way he was ever going to adjust to the place. Nevertheless, it was only after seeing the interior that Hijikata started valuing the degradation outside. The squeaking wooden floor, the moldy walls concealed by stacks of books, comics and the non-descriptive trash littering the floor sent shivers down his spine. Clearly no humans lived there, only animals.

"So downstairs we have the kitchen, bathroom..." Kondo showed him around as they walked down the cluttered hallway. Hijikata refrained from giving the rooms more than a superficial glance ere he decided to turn back and send it all to hell.

"Here is the living room, oh! Yamazaki!" a familiar face appeared by the kotatsu as soon as Kondo opened the door "Look who I just brought back from the sticks!"

Yamazaki leaned back to peek behind Kondo and gasped with surprise.

"Hijikata-san! Long time no see!" he got up to greet him and it took all of Hijikata's tenderest sensibilities not to punch the bastard. The need to blame the dormitory's total disorder on someone was crawling under his skin.

"Yamazaki has the room next door" Kondo said with a pat on the younger man's back.

"Yes! It's a 3 tatami room and it has a window to the backyard!" Yamazaki said proudly. Hijikata failed to comprehend the joy behind that statement. The description sounded dismal, especially for someone who had just been acquainted with what Yamazaki called 'the backyard'. Hijikata began to wonder if Kondo's entire dorm business was more a misfortune than a blessing.

"You're getting Danna's room, right?"

Hijikata looked at Yamazaki confused, noting a clear a lack of information on his part. He turned to Kondo anxiously, his eyes demanding an answer.

"Yeah, yeah we're getting there Yamazaki. Don't spoil the fun" Kondo replied with a fake laugh "See ya later!"

"Yes, sir!"

They rushed out of the room and Hijikata missed Yamazaki blinking an eye back at Kondo.

"Yamazaki goes to the dojo too?"

"Yeah, he helps me out with the kids and covers for me when I go on dates with Otae-san. Hahahahahaaha!"

Hijikata had known Kondo for far too long not to notice the subtle delusional tone in his voice. He shook his head with skepticism and walked on, deciding it was too soon to shatter the man's dreams. Even in their youth back in Kyoto Kondo's romantic fantasies rarely became more than that, fantasies.

There were two more rooms downstairs, Kondo's own stalker nest and a tightly shut room which read _Zura_ on the door and had the frame covered with tape; the fact someone had crossed out the name _Katsura_ on the top made it all the more suspicious.

"Okay, now on to your room!" Kondo announced happily. Hijikata might have shared part of the man's enthusiasm if the sentiment didn't stem mostly out of frustration and weariness. His arms were half-numb from carrying his luggage and his legs ached from long hours sitting on the train.

The top floor had a much smaller hallway than the lower one, with only two rooms on the left and another on the right. According to Kondo, the first on the left belonged to some guy called Sakamoto, who nobody ever saw, and the second to a creeper named Hattori Zenzou whose hemorrhoid problems seemed to fascinate Kondo to no end. Hijikata was forced to call him out on his jabbering so they might carry on.

"Kondo-san. My room now please" Hijikata said dryly, glancing towards the door on their right. Kondo started out of his musings and proceeded with an apologetic look.

"Oh, yeah, right, right, Yorozuya's room...Biggest room in the house, six tatami mats!" he announced merrily, opening the door and striking a pose.

Hijikata stepped inside at once, his impatience getting the best of him. It took him only a second before he wished he had stayed back home in the middle of nowhere. To this utter dismay a body was laying not two feet away from him, ungracefully spread out on a futon. An open issue of Jump rested over the guy's face and a carton of strawberry milk was toppled over his futon, its contents staining the covers.

"Oi, oi, Mr. Real Estate Agent, who the fuck is this and why does he come with the room!?" Hijikata inquired in a panic.

"Yorozuya, your roommate"

"What?"

"I told you I could fit you in" Kondo beamed, satisfied with a job well done "His previous roommate took off a few weeks ago, he ain't coming back don't worry"

"That not what I'm worried about!"

"It's okay, Yorozuya's an idiot but he's a nice guy. Oi Gintoki, you awake?"

The man slumped on the floor grunted something unintelligible and waved his hand to shoo them away.

"You'll be fine Toshi. Besides, you're both piss poor. This way both of you will be fine with the rent and make friends, right?" Kondo winked an eye at Hijikata and gave him a thumbs up "I have to go to the dojo now for the rookies practice. I'll be back later and we'll have drinks. You just rest from the trip now Toshi"

"No Kondo-san wait-!" Hijikata ran after him but Kondo shut the door so quickly he almost collided face first with it.

"_Otae-san and me, sitting on a tree, in the Shimura dojo glee~_" the airhead sung as he walked down the stairs.

"Fuck! I'm gonna kill him!" Hijikata kicked the door in an attempt to sooth his rage but it was useless. He was just too fucking angry. He threw his suitcase and bag to the opposite wall, demolishing a pile of old magazines that stood in the way.

"Oi Toshi, could you tone it down? Gin-san is trying to sleep here" the man on the floor uttered out sluggishly.

"Fuck this"

Hijikata called it quits. He took a couple of cigarette packs out of his bag and stormed off to smoke them to exhaustion, maybe even a coma. One after another, he burned them all crouched in a secluded corner of the backyard. Surrounded by tall weeds he almost felt like he had never left home, with the vision of the grass fields around his brother's house still too fresh in his memory, however, the notion was too wretched to even conceive and Hijikata laughed at it, almost choking himself to death.

He was on his second pack when the thought occurred to him that it was probably in his health's best interest to stop smoking and go look for other means to vent his anger. Unpacking was the first idea that came to mind but he soon regretted it. When he returned to his room the strange man was no longer feigning sleep on the floor. Instead he was rummaging through Hijikata's bags with an air of mild discontent. Hijikata stood paralyzed in the doorway for half a minute, his brain slowly catching up the bewilderment.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he blared, snatching a pair of boxers from the stranger's hands.

"Are you gonna use those? I have a huge stain on my futon, I was looking for something to scrub it off" the other man answered shamelessly, as if boxers were a universally acknowledged cleaning product.

"And you came searching my stuff? Are you stupid?! What gave you the right?!"

"This is my room, oi! I thought this was my old bag"

"Not your old bag! Not your room anymore!"

The other man furrowed a brow at his reply. A scowl quickly took over his features and he gave Hijikata a once-over.

"Wait a minute" he said "Who the hell are you again?"

"That's what I want to ask you! This was supposed to be my room!"

"No, no no no. This room right here" the man tapped the tatami mat with his hand "this shitty room is definitely Gin-san's"

"Who the fuck is that?"

"Me"

Hijikata sighed profoundly. He was starting to get an headache from all the stupidity and he was not sure trying to verbalize his situation would get him anywhere with the idiot.

"Listen, Kondo-san got me this room and I-"

"The gorilla did?

"Yeah, he-! What the fuck did you just call him?!"

"Nothing, go on"

Hijikata's grip on the boxers tightened.

"I was saying, Kondo-san told me this was my room and you my roommate" Hijikata said in plain words, making an effort to come to terms with his own statement "Therefore this is no longer _your_ room, it's _our _room. You were here before, didn't you hear anything we said? I'm sure I heard you speak" he added with a sideways glance.

"Oh! Yeah, you're _that_ Toshi! Yeah, I heard that. Nice to meet you, I'm Gintoki. Now, to the heart of the matter Toshi-kun, are you gonna lend me those boxers or not?"

Hijikata thrust the boxers and a nearby pair of socks in Gintoki's face before his brain had time to think of an answer.

"Call me that again and I'll kill you"

Gintoki spit half a sock from his mouth and nodded halfheartedly.

"Whatever Toshi-kun, no need to be such a dick"

"It's Hijikata to you" he replied angrily, unconsciously taking out another cigarette. It was already on his lips and ready to lit when a hand reached out towards it and plucked it out. Hijikata was so stunned he forgot to close his mouth.

"No smoking inside" Gintoki told him.

Hijikata's fluster seemed to double when he was forced to lock eyes with the stranger and gaze at his unusual crimson irises. For someone who looked the son of idleness, those disconcerting eyes were too much of a trap. Hijikata found himself holding his breath.

"You okay with that or what?" Gintoki's question came with more proximity and Hijikata was too disgruntled to rise to the challenge. The unexpected red gaze had taken him by surprise. He leaned back with what level of disgust he could muster and nodded his head, fumbling with the lighter while trying to shove it back into his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever"

Gintoki seemed to ignore his unease and slithered to the closet behind him, sliding the door open with his foot.

"You can have the right side. I fished out the crap Takatin left behind so it's all empty now" Gintoki explained while lazily scratching his underarm "You may not peek over my side nor ogle my secret porn stash with lusty eyes, and you must ask nicely if you need extra closet space. I'll rent it"

Hijikata looked inside the closet and it was impossible to miss the clutter on Gintoki's side. There was an old miserable set of rulers dividing the space and both were on the verge of splitting and sending Gintoki's mess all over to Hijikata's side.

"What extra space?! Your shit is ridiculous"

"Guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there" Gintoki mumbled oh so wisely.

"Your futon doesn't even fit in here"

"I've been using your side to store it, I admit it"

"It ain't coming back here!"

"It gets a lot of action so it won't miss the closet that much"

"What?!"

Hijikata looked aghast. He tried to keep down his lunch but when he turned to Gintoki and the man winked at him the struggle became quite real. Gintoki found it hard to keep a straight face and burst out laughing at Hijikata's shock. A throbbing vein popped up on the later's forehead.

"You're a big smartass, aren't you?" Hijikata hissed.

"And you're a tightass"

/_ /

* * *

Apart from the days when he had a few odd jobs to run, a trade which he had undertaken in his college years and had now become his sole source of income, it was very bizarre to see Gintoki leave his apartment so early in the morning. For many it was an ominous sign. Catherine put up garlic cloves and crosses on her window when she saw him climb down the stairs after a cheerful Kagura. Otose, who was sweeping the entrance, squinted her eyes at him and felt compelled to pry into his business.

"Glad to see you out on a job Gintoki, I was beginning to think you were going for your third month without pay" she remarked with a smirk.

"You missed a spot back there" he said pointing to a random corner in the hallway. Otose readjusted her grip on the broom and snarled. Gintoki poked Kagura on the back urging her to walk faster.

"Gin-chan stop pushing me! It's not my fault you're lying" she whined.

Gintoki put a hand across his face to hide his dismay and tried to resist the urge to facepalm Kagura into the ground. Luckily for her, Sadaharu was waiting for her by the kennel, leash in his mouth. She ran to him to say goodbye and tie him down.

"So you're not out on a job. What in devil's name are you up to then?" Otose wondered, reproach all over her features.

"I am just taking Kagura to school like the responsible guardian that I am, what's it to you?" Gintoki replied irritated, his earwax suddenly becoming very interesting.

"That is so disturbing I can't even laugh at it" Otose said gravely. Gintoki shrugged his shoulders.

"Kagura let's go, leave the dog, come on"

They bade goodbye to a shaken Otose and went on their way without further ado. They walked two blocks down the road before they met Shinpachi on his way to their apartment. He was also looking surprised to see Gintoki about and immediately asked him what he was doing there, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Got a job today Gin-san?"

"No, not really" Gintoki replied. Shinpachi's smile lost a bit of its sparkle.

"Is the TV fixed already? Are you going to Gengai's?"

"Nope"

Shinpachi's smile became barely visible and he turned pink at the next question.

"I-is it a date with T-Tsu-Tsu-"

"No, it is not" Gintoki said again in a deadpan voice.

The smile on Shinpachi's face disappeared completely and the pink of embarrassment turned into a red of fury.

"Then what the hell are you doing out so early Gin-san? Are you going to hit the pachinko parlors at this hour? Do you know how shameful that is? Do you even have any money? Only old men estranged from their families and duty go play pachinko at this hour of the morning, I don't even think there are any parlors open. And worst of all, you try to make it look like you are taking Kagura to school, what the hell are you thinking, you-"

"Oi, oi, oi, which Shimura is this? The male or the female?" Gintoki wondered aloud, interrupting Shinpachi's outburst of emotion.

"Gin-san, please just watch yourself, don't go waste what little money you have left" Shinpachi pleaded while regaining his calm.

"He's an idiot, what can you do?" Kagura added with a sigh. Shinpachi agreed.

The three of them carried on towards Kagura's middle school, much to her delight. She went hand in hand with both boys and was reluctant to let go when they stopped at the gate.

"Go on and don't do anything stupid like eating the other kids' lunch. Ask them first"

"Yes, Gin-chan! Bye bye!" She scampered away and soon joined a group of friends from her class. Shinpachi looked at Gintoki with disapproval.

"That was some terrible advice, oi"

"Was it, Pachi-boy? Isn't it a little late for you to be giving adults a sermon?" Gintoki gestured towards the school clock and watched as Shinpachi bleached. He repressed a shriek of horror and left in a dash, school bag pressed against his chest. Gintoki watched him go with some amusement.

"High schoolers these days..."

Gintoki took a deep breath before continuing his journey. He wasn't sure he would be successful but it was either staying at home biting his nails and trying to ignore what had happened, which was impossible, or go around and do some inquiries. It was still hard to believe it had been Hijikata in front of him last night. Although Gintoki's connection with him seemed to baffle Mitsuba, her relationship with him was equally crippling to Gintoki. He had barely slept that night with a barrage of memories suddenly deciding to assault him every two minutes. His bloodshot eyes could attest to that, but in spite of it Gintoki knew he wouldn't get any sleep until he knew for sure what was going on.

He passed by the Shimura dojo where Kondo still taught kendo and leeched about for more than ten years. It was quiet and peaceful at that hour and once Gintoki caught Otae cleaning the floor of the back porch he knew the gorilla was nowhere to be seen. Everyone knew Otae avoided him like the plague and after a decade she had become quite the pro at it. She beheld him with a full-on glare as soon as he came into sight. She clicked her tongue with annoyance and crouched again, devoting herself to the wooden floor.

"Yo" Gintoki greeted nonchalantly "Is the gorilla around?"

"I threatened to call the police on him half an hour ago. He ain't here" she grumbled.

"Is he home?"

"Do I look like I care?" she said, twisting the wet cloth in her hands with relish. Gintoki winced internally.

"No, sorry. I'll be going" he replied, though he stopped in his tracks when a question came back up his throat "Perhaps you didn't see him with a friend from-"

Otae slapped the cloth on the floor with a sharp cracking sound, it echoed throughout the empty dojo and scared away half a dozen birds in the nearby trees. Gintoki took it as his cue.

"See ya"

He cursed under his breath and kicked a pebble by the road. There were no words for how much he didn't want to do what he was about to. He had a bad feeling about it and he hated himself for knowing it. A slight tremor shook his legs just thinking about it and he could not believe his knees were quivering. He was almost thirty for fuck's sake. He took out his phone and skimmed through the numbers. He hit Kondo's but it just rang without anyone picking up.

"Shit"

Gintoki's mix of suicidal curiosity and bravery lasted until he was face to face with Kondo's front door. He had a finger ready to pummel the shit out of his doorbell and a fist eager to bang on the door, however, he was petrified. He played the possible outcome of the encounter a dozen times in his mind and not once did any words come to his mouth. He realized he had been led by his emotions like a fool and he would only play the part to completion if he ever rang the bell and Hijikata opened the door. The excitement that had built in his gut overnight died like a flame put to the water and the steps he took back in regret felt like freedom. When he lost sight of Kondo's building he could even admit to some kind of relief. As a reward for good behavior, Gintoki stopped by the nearest convenience store and bought himself a bag full of sugary treats and the cheapest carton of strawberry milk they had.

The automatic sliding doors opened for his exit and he bumped into a short plain mass of black hair. Gintoki's first instinct was to complain and ask for an apology but the lollipop in his mouth made that a troublesome ordeal, not to mention the person in question turned out to be Yamazaki and Gintoki instantly devised other plans for him.

"Oh Danna!" Yamazaki exclaimed. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and then back at Gintoki "It's early" he stated blandly.

"I was out of sweets" Gintoki replied jiggling his shopping bag. Yamazaki's mouth formed an 'oh' in understanding but the distance of almost six blocks didn't feel right with him. Gintoki helped him get to the point since he knew where the conversation would inevitably lead to.

"Seen the gorilla around?" he asked.

"No, not really. He has been busy lately, he..." Yamazaki's voice died away before coming back with a gasp. His eyes widened and he looked apprehensively at Gintoki, then with excitement "Ah! Danna! I almost forgot to tell you! Maybe you know it already!" he spoke with enthusiasm, overwhelmed with the idea he might be the first to break the news to Gintoki "Hijikata-san is back! He's staying with Kondo-san until the application for his new apartment goes through. I hear it's very nice, not like what we're used to here in the district"

Gintoki's apathetic reaction crushed half of Yamazaki's joy. He wasn't sure if Gintoki knew of the occurrence already or if he had just screwed things up. It was not like Hijikata's name was taboo. Gintoki had become quite indifferent to it over the years. At some parties he might even participate in Kondo's nostalgic reminiscences of their years at the dorm without feeling weird. However, with the bastard back things were entirely different. Hijikata had stopped being an unsolved and forgotten matter of the past. Gintoki had never expected to see him again.

"You knew already?" Yamazaki wondered with a gloomy voice.

"Yeah"

"Were you going to see him then? He must be-"

"No" Gintoki cut in.

"Oh, I see" Yamazaki mumbled. He felt an awkward atmosphere settling in and kept talking in fear of further silence "So you and Hijikata-san didn't keep in touch all these years, uh?"

"Not really"

"Well, now that he's back you should see him. He'll be happy to see you I'm sure"

"Are you?" Gintoki had meant to sound indifferent but bitterness escaped any way. He cringed mentally but Yamazaki's honest answer pierced his somber layers.

"Yes, of course" the reply was plain and the candid look on his face left no doubt. Yamazaki wasn't trying to convince him, he simply said what he thought to be true. Gintoki let out a chuckle and crossed his arms behind his back.

"Good to see you Jimmy-kun. We'll catch up more later"

"See ya, Danna"

They parted ways and Gintoki went home, eager to indulge himself in his sweets.

* * *

AN: I feel like this is going to be a long one. Please bear with me. Next chapter there will be present-day Hijikata's POV, I promise. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed and read this story. Your support gives me incredible motivation, thank you!

PS: I tried not to litter the text with written indications, but the flashback transition has been slightly edited. I hope it's more perceptible now. If not send me a message please.


	3. Moving On is Like Moving Back

Disclaimer: Sorachi owns Gintama, not I.

* * *

How Fools Fall In Love

Chapter 3: Moving On is Like Moving Back

* * *

It was half past midnight and they were on their second bar. Kondo was ecstatic, his happiness riding its ultimate peak. Yamazaki was there too, eager to be of service and keeping the drinks coming. Other familiar faces were there as well, mostly guys from the kendo club who knew Hijikata from back in the day and also some new members who, though not very interested in meeting him, were definitely keen on attending his party. Their presence didn't bother him as much as one would expect. Hijikata's return had been spoiled before the celebration had even begun.

Less than month ago Hijikata had been promoted to a high-ranking position in the Bureau after years of service in the force as Police Inspector. He had been given the choice to either keep working for Superintendent or go further in the administration and start climbing the executive ladder. Loyal to his ambition, Hijikata had chosen the later. The transition had been smooth and effortless and he was ready to commit himself to the seas of bureaucratic work, when he was relocated to a suburb of Tokyo he knew only too well. He was put in charge of the district's administrative division and sent off with a pat on the back. The shock had been immense. Torn between rapture and distress, Hijikata had had no idea what to make of his future. He had tried to ignore all possible scenarios such a transfer entailed. Resigning was out of the question and it was beneath him to quit for petty personal reasons. He still remembered the sleepless nights of staring at the ceiling and letting the situation sink in, yet the numbness didn't last. He was aware of the transfer's good aspects and he acted promptly on them, calling Kondo and a few other acquaintances to help him with the move. In less than a week he had packed his bags and said goodbye to his old life.

The train ride to Tokyo had felt like a journey back in time. Hijikata's buried regrets seemed to fuel the engines. More than once did he stand up decided to go back.

Fortunately, his arrival had contrived to keep his insecurities at bay. At the last minute Kondo had been unable to welcome him at the station and a heavenly convoy was sent in his stead. When Hijikata saw Mitsuba amidst the bustling crowd at the train station his heart filled with warmth. He couldn't help but reciprocate the gentle smile on her face. He knew then he had made the right choice. Perhaps it was time to finally give in, he thought. All those years of evading her with work excuses and long distances were over. But there were other emotions at play behind his smile and Hijikata couldn't help but hold her image with worry. He accepted her invitation to tea almost out of guilt. The prospect of meeting Sougo again wasn't the least bit appealing, the horror of adolescence plaguing Hijikata's mind, yet he complied all the same. Indulging Mitsuba seemed to be everything he had left.

Surprisingly, she turned out to be the catalyst to his fears. That or just plain old fate. Hijikata wasn't sure at first. He had been smoking a cigarette by her front door when a crash shut him out of his reverie. Looking behind him, he could almost swear he had glimpsed a heap of silver hair disappearing down the hallway. But for a while Hijikata had remained in ignorance, finding no courage to ask Mitsuba about her neighbor. Besides, he wasn't certain if he really wanted an answer. To him it might as well have been an hallucination.

Alas, a day later he found out is wasn't so. And now here he was, twirling his drink in a haze, unable to stop thinking about his awful luck.

All around him people partied and laughed. They offered him drinks and congratulations but Hijikata couldn't let go of his misery. Of all things terrible in the world, he had to be stuck with the worst, even Mitsuba had to be tainted by that, that...

"Hijikata-san!" Yamazaki interrupted his thoughts with a big smile and hands full. He placed two shot glasses in the table in front of him and nudged Hijikata's arm "One for the promotion and one for the new apartment, come on!"

Hijikata eyed the cocktails with aversion. He gulped one down just to shut him up, after which loud cheers compelled him to finish the other. Kondo appeared out of nowhere with a big sake bottle and gave him an invigorating shake of shoulders. His elation was contagious.

"Now Toshi, you're gonna finish this one by yourself! Let's see how well you hold your liquor!"

Hijikata's prudent nature tried to fight off the challenge but he was too tired from fighting his own demons to start another argument. Pushing Kondo away was more than he could handle. He obliged his friend's request and let the alcohol assuage what his mind could not.

* * *

/10 YEARS AGO/

It was late in the afternoon. Hijikata had been poring over his books for over two hours, not noticing the shadows taking over the room and the sunlight dim to a bare orange glow. His head had started to ache when the words became too difficult to read in the dark, and he swore loudly as he stomped to the switch and flicked on the lights. Once he surveyed the empty room though, a smile came over his lips and he sat by his desk with such relief that it became impossible to further concentrate on anything except his own happiness.

It was unbelievable how in just two weeks he had forgotten what it was like to have some space of his own, some room to actually breathe. Hijikata didn't even want to know where the dunce had gone off to. He might as well never return. Coming home to find a deserted room began to feel like something Hijikata couldn't live without; or at least a big fucking improvement from yelling at Gintoki and shoving him to _his_ side of the room, and keeping _his_ mess from littering the whole fucking place. Snacks, magazines, comics, empty cans, if it was trash it was Gintoki's and Hijikata lost about half his time ranting about it instead of studying.

Thus the change felt good, refreshing, ideal. Hijikata wanted everyday to be like this. Even the rest of the dorm seemed at peace when the moron wasn't around.

He climbed down the stairs to the common room, or living room, or whatever it was they all congregated to at some point in their daily lives, and he found Yamazaki watching TV with a bag of anpans in his lap.

"Hello Hijikata-san, wanna watch some badminton?" he asked.

Hijikata's eyes turned to the television screen and he sighed.

"No" was the reply, yet he sat down all the same.

"Quiet today, isn't it?" Yamazaki said, fishing for something to talk about. Hijikata nodded.

"Is Kondo at the dojo?"

"Yeah, practice" Yamazaki said. He shook the bag on his lap and offered him some "Anpan?"

Hijikata glanced at it mostly just to wrench his eyes away from the stupid badminton game.

"Got some mayo?"

In that moment that Katsura came in, feet dragging but silent. He had dark bags under his eyes and he slumped on the seat in front of them.

"There's something terribly wrong with you, Hijikata-kun" he wailed looking at the ceiling.

Hijikata and Yamazaki followed his gaze up and finding nothing of notice there, turned back to the newcomer. The former with a scowl and the latter with worry.

Katsura wasn't a third as bad as Hijikata's Enemy, the roomate of hell, but he shared something of Gintoki's aloofness and overall stupidity. When Hijikata had first arrived to the dorm and gone on his quick tour with Kondo, the door to Katsura's room had intrigued him, to say the least. He expected another creep to live there, never coming out and never socializing. He wasn't too far from the mark, expect Katsura did make an appearance here and there at the most random times. One day Hijikata had woken up at around four o'clock to take a piss and walking by the common room to the toilet, he had caught Katsura there watching a rerun of an old TV show about the late shogunate period, all dressed up in accordance too. Hijikata had never asked him about it and he had no wish to, but at last he could connect the screams that every now and then came from his locked room to some reenactment of the bakufu wars. Some nerd he was.

"You look tired Katsura-san, up all night working on your thesis again?"

Another person coming in interrupted Yamazaki's question. He dropped a pack of beer on the low table between them and slumped down next to Hijikata, jostling against him in the process.

"Does he do anything else?" Gintoki's voice rang with sarcasm and he turned slightly to the side addressing Hijikata "Scoot over"

"Watch it!" Hijikata snapped. The ease and content hosted in his lofty ribcage escaped in one long exhalation.

Katsura and Yamazaki flocked over to the table and everyone reached out for a can of beer. Gintoki slapped their hands off and pulled the six pack towards himself.

"Get your filthy hands off my hard labor, you cherry boy get on with your badminton crap, Zura-" he paused a moment to examine him and then continued his tirade "Last time I saw you was four days ago and you're still wearing that?" the article in question was the white t-shirt with the penguin-like imprint Hijikata had always seen Kastura wear in their few encounters "You think this is Gutsy Frog? Is the duck gonna come out and talk to you in secret? Help you with your thesis? Pfffa!" Gintoki threw his head back in laughter and opened a can of beer. However, his mirth was short lived because as he did so the beer spewed out and doused him all over. Yamazaki and Katsura broke into an obnoxious cackling and even Hijikata could not contain his loud guffaw.

"Serves you right" Hijikata told him.

"Asshole"

Gintoki grumbled indignantly but he no longer prevented their attempts to snatch a beer. He fumbled with his soaked shirt and brushed the foam off his pants. Hijikata was about to take his first sip when he felt the splatter reach him.

"Stop that shit and go take a shower, you stink!" he cried out, crawling away from Gintoki.

"Indeed, you look disgusting Gintoki" Katsura added.

"Shut up Zura, nobody asked you! It's not my fault the beer is defective!" Gintoki growled.

"Your brain is defective!" Hijikata rebuffed.

"Oh yeah?" Gintoki shot him a daring look and grabbed another beer can. He shook it and then aiming at Hijikata he pulled the tab. The fight that ensued was inevitable, and both reeked of beer by the end of it without having enjoyed the tiniest drip. Yamazaki managed to hold back Hijikata by the arms and Katsura pulled Gintoki by the shirt almost asphyxiating him.

"I swear, we can't have one good thing in this house without this asshole ruining it!" Gintoki said out of breath, pointing an accusing finger at Hijikata.

"Everything was fine until you arrived! Why don't you crawl back to your hole, fucktard!"

The abuse continued and both missed Kondo's strides in the hallway as he ran to the bathroom. Yamazaki tried to nudge Hijikata and give him a hint, but the latter was too blinded by fury to listen. When Gintoki and Hijikata finally managed to move the topic of their argument to who was going to shower first, the sound of running water silenced them. Yamazaki and Katsura released their grips on the howling idiots and Katsura cleared his throat.

"There's always the bath house" he said solemnly. He finished his beer and went back to shutting himself in his room.

"He's right, it's just two blocks down" Yamazaki said "And you know Kondo-san. He likes to take a nap in the tub"

Hijikata grimaced. The thought of the bath house annoyed him to no end. However, his clothes rank, he was soaked in beer and he refused to spend another minute in that state; not to mention his threshold for taking Gintoki's bullshit was all but spent. He stood up without another word and grabbing a change of clothes, went out. He walked in a furious step, teeth clenched. He could barely remember his happy disposition half an hour ago. Going downstairs had been a most unfortunate idea. He should have enjoyed more of that solitary solace in his room.

With a sigh, Hijikata turned a corner. He glimpsed briefly at the traffic mirror and that was when he caught him. The stalker on his heels. He felt like screaming.

"What the fuck are you following me around for?!" he did scream.

Gintoki was unfazed, his expression as nonchalant as ever. When he wasn't being equally boisterous as Hijikata, his natural apathy towards the world and its inhabitants was perhaps the most infuriating thing Hijikata had ever suffered. Gintoki's indifference might have been shrouded by a luring sense of mystery at first, but after two weeks of living and breathing the same air, Hijikata could assert with all certainty Gintoki was just a careless self-centered fool. Those strange red eyes were just that. Red. Unusual. Hijikata could admit for the sake of the argument he felt disappointed after knowing the guy, but that was it. Gintoki _was_ disappointment; not to mention stupidity, annoyance and worthlessness.

"There's only one bath house around here and it's communal, get that around your hick brain" Gintoki said, walking past him without batting an eyelid. Hijikata growled.

"And you had to come too, right now?! You're a stalker!"

"Do you even know the way?" Gintoki turned around and their gazes met. Hijikata opened his mouth to answer but he had to close it quick before he voiced out his defeat. Gintoki snorted and trudged on, Hijikata behind him with an massive flush of embarrassment.

The bath house was mostly vacant. At that hour only a handful of men were there enjoying the sauna. The old man at the front desk greeted Gintoki as they came in and they proceeded to the changing room. They took off their clothes amidst a row of insults, the stench of beer rekindling their earlier fight, and afterward each picked up a towel and a bucket and entered the bathing area. They went to opposite sides of the room and sat down by the faucets grunting. Once the washing was done and it came to bathing, the two stopped by the same tub.

"Oioioi, this is too much" Gintoki noted in disbelief.

"I don't like it too hot or too cold. I'm not stupid" Hijikata said with a glare. There were three bathtubs total and each had different water temperatures. Unfortunately their preferences were very similar.

"I'm not stupid either, idiot"

Gintoki fell in after Hijikata and both submerged with frowns on their faces.

Hijikata tried to close his eyes and forget Gintoki's presence altogether, but not a minute had gone by before Gintoki's big mouth opened to present the world with a stupid pubescent joke.

"Still amazed how half this tub doesn't overflow with my dick in it"

"How about you shut the fuck up?"

"How about you take that stick outta your ass?"

Hijikata opened his eyes ready for another fight. The will to drag Gintoki's head under the water and drown him grew every second. It was ridiculous how Hijikata could not get rid of him anywhere he went.

"Yo, Gintoki how you doing?" a man with brown messy hair and some kind of goatee came out of the sauna looking exhausted. He dipped in the tub next to Gintoki and the latter sidled towards Hijikata.

"Good, how's the wife?" Gintoki replied blandly.

"What are you doing?" Hijikata asked him between gritted teeth. Gintoki's shoulders almost touched his.

"He creeps me out" Gintoki replied in the same manner.

"You creep me out!"Hijikata gasped.

"So I heard you were helping out at the shelter today" the man said. He went by the name Hasegawa and gave Gintoki a thumbs up.

"They told me they needed some help and I didn't mind the cash" Gintoki replied matter-a-factually. It didn't seem like much to him, but Hijikata was surprised. Gintoki going off to work was the last thing on his mind when he had found their room empty that afternoon.

"By the way, could you go by my house this week and collect some clutter? There's also a sticky door the missus has been nagging me about"

"Sure, as long as you pay me" Gintoki said. Hasegawa replied with a fake laugh and Hijikata finally realized something.

"Is that why they call you Yorozuya?" he wondered aloud. Gintoki looked at him a little smug but it was Hasegawa who answered.

"Yeah, Gintoki does all kinds of odd jobs around town. He doesn't live in that dump for free! Hahahaha!"

Gintoki and Hijikata shot murdering looks at the laughing man and soon decided to quit the bath house. They went back to their shit hole with bitter feelings, though little did they know that in the future Hasegawa would taste a bit of a role-reversal.

/_/

* * *

After his semi-weekly prowl through the new titles in the bookstore, Gintoki got home just in time to hear the phone ringing. The number ID filled him with pleasure and annoyance. It was work. One of the local moving companies was short on a worker and they were willing to hire Gintoki temporarily as replacement. He was too broke to decline the offer. After heating up some ramen to quench his empty stomach, he slurped the cheap noodles and left; a pair of worn sneakers on his feet.

"So what happened to Tetsu-kun?"

"Sprained ankle" one of the movers told him.

"It was either that or being squashed by a piano" another pitched in. The three men inside the van laughed.

They were on their way to the customer's house, which was on the other side of town, some good four or five miles away from Gintoki's own humble abode. The back of the van was full with boxes and packaged appliances. According to the chief there was another load in storage scheduled for pick up that afternoon, yet no matter what was prearranged Gintoki couldn't conceive how they were gonna manage both loads in one day. His arms lost half their strength when the movers opened the back of the van and he saw the actual cargo. A sudden desire to quit and go home blossomed in his chest.

"G-guys, oi, guys, l-listen to me, I'm glad to help but t-this is ridiculous" he stuttered in disbelief.

"Nah! Come on Gin-san, show us some spirit!"

"I have spirit alright, but it doesn't usually carry ten tons of..." he gestured towards the contents of the van and shrugged "boxed wrapped crap!"

"Quit your whining and move it, they'll cut our pay if we don't do both loads today. I'm aiming for that bonus" a strong armed man growled, walking past Gintoki and leaping inside the van. He began distributing the cardboard boxes and pulling out small items that could be carried together.

"What the hell!" one of the movers cursed, readjusting his grip on a box "What's inside this thing, bricks?!"

Gintoki laughed and picked one up. The smile on his face disappeared instantly.

"Shit!"

"Chief told me it's mostly paperwork" the tough guy inside the van said while reaching out for the next weight.

"You mean all of them are like this?" Gintoki gasped, eying the mountains of boxes still to be handled.

"Yeah guess so. At least they aren't fragile, we get lots of complaints with those"

The movers grunted in agreement and carried on with their toil. Gintoki took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the money he would get, since nothing else was going to help him through that day. He turned around and looked at the building in question. It was fairly recent without a blemish in sight. Gintoki counted, one, two, three, fours floors. He entered the lobby with a funny feeling in his gut and then something inside him died. As if the quantity of stuff wasn't overwhelming enough, the customer's apartment was on the second floor and there was no elevator. Gintoki cursed the minute he had picked up the phone.

The sun had begun its descent, three hours had passed and the van was only half emptied. Gintoki tried to loiter a few times by the stairs but after getting caught by the big guy he felt a menace on his shoulders every time he turned his back. He was aware that refusing to carry those boxes wasn't worth being skinned alive by a man with mouths to feed at home. Moreover, Gintoki had his own surplus stomach to sustain, and a monstrous one at that. Kagura should be studied by scientists one day. Details aside, Gintoki was beginning to feel the toll of all the heavy lifting. His shabby t-shirt was glued to his back with sweat, his forehead glistened and his hair was a bigger mess than usual with drenched curls dripping sweat down onto the floor.

He set a heavy box down by the kitchen counter and leaned over it panting.

"This ain't right" he mumbled out of breath.

He heard loud footsteps coming in, clearly not the ones of the working men going up and down the building with heavy cargo. Gintoki assumed it was the customer and straightened up at once, running a hand through his disheveled hair in a vain attempt to look presentable. However, the person who came into sight was impossible to please. Gintoki's heart nearly stopped from the shock. Before him stood Hijikata in a black suit. He had been loosening his tie when he noticed Gintoki there and froze in place as well. They lacked the words to carry on.

"Yo, mister where do you want us to put this?"

The movers were now coming up with the appliances and they broke the stifling silence that had fallen on the apartment. Their question brought Hijikata back to life and he disappeared from view, leading the men into another room.

Gintoki let out the breath he was holding and leaned back against the counter. He tried to fight the smile spreading all over his face, but the circumstances were too ridiculous. He gave in.

It was sunset when the van returned with the second and last load. Gintoki could barely feel his legs, though they kept going up and down the building. He and Hijikata hadn't exchanged a word, not even to decide where things were to be set down. Gintoki didn't grudge him. In his current mood he wasn't much for talking as he was to collapse on the floor dying. Not that he would do it there. Although it had taken him a while to acknowledge, that was Hijikata's house and the shit he had been moving up and down was the bastard's shit as well.

Hijikata wandered around from place to place, opening boxes and checking their contents. He supervised the movers as they brought in heavy appliances and helped them occasionally when the situation seemed dire. Nevertheless, whenever Gintoki came near he disappeared. The most Gintoki saw of him was his back; the white dress shirt that fitted him so perfectly it actually grossed him out; the sleeves rolled up to his elbows after he had taken off his jacket; the hem of his shirt tucked into his trousers with barely a wrinkle. It wasn't fair how such a wild and violent jackass could look so neat and so... good.

Gintoki shook his head to dispel his less honorable thoughts. He wasn't paying attention to Hijikata. No way. He wasn't. He just couldn't keep his curiosity at bay. He wanted to find the differences in him, though there weren't many to be found yet. Hijikata seemed much the same stubborn idiot of old, keeping to himself and looking grave. There was no resemblance, he was exactly the same. Like nothing had changed. Like all those years had never been there. But he did look older, sharper, inscrutable. Anything he did stirred Gintoki inescapably.

Hijikata bent over to pick a box of papers and Gintoki's eyes lingered for a moment down his back. He had no time to regret the decision. Hijikata failed to notice the shelf behind him move as he took out the box, and his eyes widened once he saw Gintoki run towards him in a flash.

"Watch out!"

Gintoki managed to hold the empty shelf back with the remnants of his strength. Hijikata put down the box he was holding and helped Gintoki push the shelf back to a straight position. Before they knew it they were thanking each other and then more silence followed.

Between feeling awkward and out of place, Gintoki was having trouble getting reacquainted with their proximity. Sure, judging Hijikata from afar and spewing some snide remarks to himself was easy. Playing the same game one feet away from the man was something entirely different. Especially when Hijikata seemed as flustered and off guard as he was. Gintoki had to break the mood, else he was just going to stand there looking at Hijikata's face like a dumb kid who stares at foreigners in the supermarket.

"Nice place you got here" he croaked out.

"Yeah"

"Lots of shit too" it seemed pertinent to add.

"No more than you. Just less useless" Hijikata replied.

"You should give me a raise"

"I'm surprised you're even employed"

"I'm not. Just filling in for a while"

Hijikata sneered and reached again for the box he had let go. Gintoki imagined his low expectations had been met. As sad as that might sound. At least he was glad the awkwardness was gone.

They didn't speak much after that. Once the job was done Gintoki went back with the movers, eager for his payment. Later, he bought himself a drink and as he swallowed it, he remembered he hadn't even said goodbye. For a while the thought disturbed him, but he got comfort knowing he didn't own the jerk any politeness. Shaking off their eight year estrangement wasn't going to happen over night. Soon they would be back clawing at each other's throats and there was nothing he could do about that.

* * *

AN: To everyone who reviewed, read the thing and put it on their lists, thank you so much. It really keeps me going. I know this one has been a little experimental, but I'm enjoying writing it so far. Hopefully it doesn't sound too dumb haha. Thank you again!


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